Feb. 03, 2011
Ann Marie Trotta
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1601
ann.marie.trotta@nasa.gov
MEDIA ADVISORY: M11-022
NASA'S HEAD OF EDUCATION TO MEET WITH D.C. ELEMENTARY STUDENTS
WASHINGTON -- NASA Associate Administrator for Education Leland Melvin
will meet with first and third grade students at Ferebee-Hope
Elementary School in Washington from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. EST on
Tuesday, Feb. 8. This is one of the school's Black History Month
events and will focus on the importance of reading.
Melvin, a former space shuttle astronaut, will share his flight
experiences, highlight contributions of African Americans to the
space program and read the book "The Moon Over Star" aloud to the
children. The book tells the story of the 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing
and how that event inspired the main character, a young
African-American girl named Mae.
The event is a collaborative effort with Reading is Fundamental (RIF)
and is part of the organization's DC Initiative. The program annually
distributes more than 50,000 free books to help children discover the
joy of reading. Carol Rasco, president and CEO of RIF, also will
participate in the event.
News media representatives interested in attending should contact Ann
Marie Trotta at 202-358-1601 by 4 p.m. EST Monday, Feb. 7.
Ferebee-Hope Elementary School is located at 3999 Eighth Street, SE
in Washington. The event will be streamed live on the Web at:
http://www.rif.org/live.
Betsy Pugel, a physicist from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in
Greenbelt, Md., will be on hand to show the students a moon rock and
share materials from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter mission
launched in 2009.
NASA's broad education program works to engage teachers and students
from kindergarten through the university post-graduate level. The
program uses the agency's unique assets and exciting space endeavors
to inspire students and encourage them to pursue curricula and
careers related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
It is a key part of NASA's effort to help build the nation's future
high-tech workforce and cultivate the next generation of explorers.
NASA Television will air footage from the event during its Video File
feed. For NASA TV schedule and streaming video information, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/ntv
For information about NASA's education programs, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/education
-end-